Check-hook



(No Model.)

T. H. GORDON.

GHBGK BooK.

No. 469,418. Patented Peb. 23, 1892.

WITNESSES:

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' ATTORNE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS Il. GORDON, OF SYRAOUSE, NE-lV YORK.

CHECK-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,418, dated February23, 1892.

Application tiled December 13, 1890. Serial No. 374,567. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. GORDON, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Oheck- Hooks, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improved checkhook, arid has forits objectthe production of asimpleand effective device which is manufactured at aminimum cost of expense and is effective in operation and durable inuse; and to this end it consists, essentially, in a supporting-standardadapted to be secured to the saddle ora saddletree of a harness, atongue or lever pivoted to said supporting-standard and provided with aneccentrieally-shaped bend or loop formed by extending said leverdownwardly and outwardly from its pivotal point and then upwardly andbackwardly toward said pivotal point, and a spring for retaining thetongue in its opened or closed position.

The invention also consists in a supportingstandard for the check-hookprovided with a projecting arm or guard extending above its pivotalpoint for engaging the cheek hook or strap and preventing its escapefrom the check-hook; and the invention furthermore consists in thedetail construction and ar- -rangement ot the parts, all as hereinaftermore particularly described, and pointed out in all the claims.

In describing this invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like lettersindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 represents a top plan view of the saddletree, a detachedcentral portion of the saddle, and myimproved check-hook mountedthereupon with the tongue or lever in its closed position. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the closed detached check-hook with a portion of a checkrein or strap shown by dotted lines. Fig. 3 represents a like View toFig. 2, illustrating the-tongue or lever of the check-hook as swungbackward in its open position to receive the check rein or strap. Fig. 4represents a sectional view taken on line or x, Fig. 2. Fig. 5represents a like sectional View to Fig. 4, illustrating the tongue ofthe hook as partially swung over into its closed position;

and Fig. 6 is an elevation of a modified form of the spring formaintaining the tongue of the check-hook in its opened or closedposition.

The supporting-standard A of the checkhook is of desirable form, size,and material, and is secured by screws a or other suitable means to anydesirable construction of saddle B or saddletree C, whichis hereillustrated in plan view at Fig. 1 and forms no part of my presentinvention, since this improved check-hook may be secured to any form ofharness. The standard A is formed with the projecting arms A betweenwhich is pivoted at CZ the tongue or lever D, and in order to render mycheck-hook attachable to any desirable form of harness the said arms Aare preferably elevated above the base of the standard A, so as to allowthe tongue t'o swing into its opened position. (Illustrated at Fig. 3.)The tongue D is formed with the eccentrically-shaped bend or loop d',extending below and outwardly from the pivotal or hinge point cl of saidtongue and forming a loop adapted to receive the checkrein. The free endof the tongue is then curved upwardly and backwardly from the loop d',with its eX- tremity preferably above the top face of the base or footof the standard A. Oppositely arranged with the loops d are theprojecting arms or guards a', which are elevated above the hinge-pointot' the lever D, and are preferably curved downwardly, forming the topotthe loop d', for preventing the upward movement of the checkrein orstrap.

When desired to engage the checkrein with my improved hook, the tongueor lever D is swung to its opened position, as illustrated at Fig. 3,whereupon the checkrein may be quickly forced to its desired positionbeneath the hooks or guards a. The said tongue D is then swung to itsclosed position, as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the checkrein isinterposed between the said guards a of the standards A and the loop elof the tongue or lever D, thus absolutely preventing its escapetherefrom, since the guards prevent all upward movement, and the naturalstrain-occasioned by thel throw of the horses head tends to draw thefree extremity of the tongue D more tightly against the top face of thestandard A, ,as said eccentric loop d of the tongue is IOO below thepivotal point of the tongue. It will thus be understood that a checkreinmay be engaged with my improved device with great ease, and that whenthe same is in its normal position the escape of the checkrein isabsolutely prevented by the peculiar construction of the tongue or leverD and the arms or guards a.

In order to further hold the tongue in its 1o opened or closed position,I retain the same arms A the inwardly-projecting rib a2, which engageswith a groove or slot (Z2, formed upon the opposite faces of the hub ofthe tongue D. Vhen the tongue D is in either its opened or closedposition, said projections a2 and grooves zo d2 are so arranged as toregister with each other, and when the tongue is forced from either ofthe said positions the projections are swung from engagement with theslot cl2 and bear against the opposite faces of the hub of 5 the tongueD, thereby slightly forcing apart the arms A of said standard and thustensioning the metal. These projections a2 and slots d2 are soproportioned that the spring generated is sufficient to irmly retain the3o tongue in either its opened orclosed position,

but is not suihciently great to excessively retard its operation. Thepivotal or hinge pin d of the tongue is preferably secured to theopening in the tongue D,so as to prevent the said pin being forced fromits position by the swinging lof the tongue, and in order to effect theoperation of said tongue the pivotal openings in the arms A of thestandard A are slightly larger than the projecting extremities 4o. ofthe pin d, so as to allow the said arms to swing outward therefrom, asshown in Fig. 5.

Upon practical operation of my check-hook I have found that in somecases it is very desirable to provide the arms A of the standard withdownwardly-extending ears f beneath the pivotal point of the tongue forfurther preventing the checkrein from swinging the tongue backward understrain from the horses head; but it will be understood1 that 5o theseears are not absolutely essential, al-

though they usually occasion a more perfect operation of the hook.

wardly-extendin g extremity g, bearingagainst the lower part of the loopd of the tongue D; but this construction is not as desirable as thatpreferably used and shown in the pre- 6o ceding figures.

' The operation of my improved check-hook will be readily perceived fromthe foregoing, and it is evident that with but few parts an improvedarticle of manufacture is produced which presents features of greatadvantage,

convenience, and efficiency. It is obvious, however, that changes may bemade in the relative construction and arrangement of the parts of myinvention without departing from its spirit. I-Ience I do not limitmyself to its precise form and construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a check-hook, the combination of a supporting-standard, a leverpivoted to said standard and extending outwardly and downwardly from itshinge-point and then extending upwardly and backwardly toward saidhinge-point, and guards formed upon said standard and extended upwardlyabove and outwardly from the said hinge-point, whereby a loop isinterposed between the guards and the hook, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a check-hook, the combination of a supporting-standard, a leverhingedto said standard and extending outwardly and downwardly from itshinge-pointand-then extending upwardly and backwardly toward saidhinge-point, guards formed upon said standard and extending above saidhinge-point and toward the pivoted lever for preventing the checkreinfrom moving to the free extremity of said lever, .and a spring forretaining said lever in its opened or closed position, substantially asand for the purpose described.

3. In a check-hook, the combination of 'a supporting-standard, a leverpivoted to said standard and extending outwardly and downwardly from itshinge-point and then extending upwardly and backwardly toward saidhinge-point, guards formed upon said'standard and extended upwardlyabove and outwardly from the said hinge-point, whereby a loop isinterposed between the guards and the hook, and lateral arms on thestandard extending downwardly beneath the hingepoint of the lever,substantially as specilied.

4.. In a check-hook, the combination of a supporting standard, upwardlyprojecting of said arms on one side of the hinge-point of As illustratedat Fig. 6, a flat spring Gmay be secured at one extremity of the lowerface 55 of the base A and be provided with an outthe lever, and adepression in the adjacent surface of the lever for engaging saidprojection and tensioning the lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence oftwo attesting Witnesses, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in theState of New York, this 5th day of December, 1890.

THOMAS H. GORDON.

Witnesses: CLARK H. NORTON, L. M. BAXTER.

IOC

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